Scientists have found matching dinosaur footprints on continents 6,000 kilometers apart.

120 million years agoThree-legged carnivorous dinosaurs left their footprints where they are today Brazil And Cameron. Louise JacobsAncient scientist Southern Methodist University (SMU)declares that these footprints are from Early Cretaceous and were part of the supercontinent Gondwana.

published this discovery New Mexico Museum of Natural HistoryThat earlier reveals South America And Africa Separated, dinosaurs traveled freely between the two continents.

Cited study cnnAnalysis of more than 260 footprints revealed that they were embedded in mud and silt next to ancient rivers and lakes. The pattern of footprints was found nearly 6,000 kilometers apart, suggesting that these lands were once connected. The scientists determined that the footprints were similar in age, shape and geographic context, indicating biogeographic continuity over that era.

Jacobs Explained as one of the youngest and closest geographical links between Africa And South America It is the “elbow” of the northeast BrazilIt was located on the present beach Cameron. “The two continents were contiguous along that short stretch, so animals on either side of the junction could cross it.He said Jacobs In a press release from SMU Quoted CBS News.

According to the results of the study, South America And Africa They began to separate about 140 million years ago and eventually formed South Atlantic Ocean.

The research also found that most of the footprints belonged to theropods, a group of carnivorous three-legged dinosaurs, although some footprints were from sauropods or herbivorous ornithopods. The discovery suggests the movement of a wide variety of fauna through ancient river valleysForaging and migration in response to seasonal and environmental changes.

The formation of basins in geological features known as “half-grabens” resulted from the separation of continents. These basins, caused by faults and tectonic movements, were filled by rivers and lakes that left sediments.thus contributing to the preservation of traces.

Scientists found evidence of these formations in the Porporema area BrazilAs in the Koum Basin CameronPublished as CBS News.

This research provides unique insight into how geology and paleobiology contribute to understanding the ancient world. Diana VineyardCo-author of the study and research associate SMUHe cites that the footprints “tell us not only about the diversity of life, but also about how these dinosaurs moved and lived in their natural environment.” USA Today.

While dinosaur fossils are a valuable tool for understanding what creatures lived on Earth, fossil footprints offer a unique perspective on documenting dinosaur behavior and ecology. Jacobs The fossil record of bones tells us “who” these animals were, footprints reveal to us. Part of the story of how they lived.

Footprints in Cameron First discovered in the 1980s, and co Jacobs, Professor Ismar de Sousa Carvalho of Federal University of Rio de JaneiroHe was reading the clues Brazil.

Both are researchers Jacobs And CarvalhoIt has spent decades integrating new and existing research. “We wanted to bring together emerging new geological and paleontological evidence to tell a specific story of how, where, and when these animals spread between continents.“, he concluded Jacobs.

This latest study was published in tribute Martin LockleyA pioneer in the field of studying dinosaur footprints, researchers said.